Sunday Share: Fireweed by Casey Clifford + Giveaway
Today I'm thrilled to have Casey Clifford sharing an excerpt from
FIREWEED
and she's giving away a free ebook to one commentor!
The first book in Casey's Affair series-- Black Ribbon Affair --was so good it kept me up till the early hours of the morning. I'm about 3/4ths of the way through Fireweed and it's just as good. I can't wait to see how it ends!
Here's a short note from Casey and then she was kind enough to answer a couple of my questions. Take it away, Casey!
This opportunity toshare my recent book today came up a bit unexpectedly. But life is really allabout being spontaneous and rolling with the opportunities, right? Anyway, I'mvery excited to share a bit about the second book in what I call the AffairSeries, a romantic mystery/suspense with continuing characters. I've envisionedthis to be a lot like the old TB series Hart to Hart, if you can remember that.
For those of you whoread the first book, Black Ribbon Affair , Fireweed has the main charactersCaitlin and Mike now married and on a fishing trip in Alaska. In this book youget a chance to see them deal with a tough situation but in a setting they aretotally unfamiliar with.
Ilove this series because it depicts a romantic married couple who are dealingwith life and problems and it usually will have a secondary love plot inaddition to the mystery/suspense. I'll be checking in if you have anyquestions or comments.
What is it about the continuing characters that drew you towrite another book in this series?
First of all, myhubby fell in love with Caitlin and suggested I had to do another book. Thenonce Black Ribbon came out and I heard from readers, most of them wanted toknow more about Caitlin and Mike. Since I really loved Hart to Hart, and I alsolove Eve and Roake as married couples in mystery suspense, I decided I'dcontinue on for at least one more book. I'm playing with ideas for the suspenseplot for #3. And because readers also asked me about Rachel who's Caitlin'sassistant in Black Ribbon, I'm playing around with doing a novella for herbackstory with Caitlin in it for sure because I really liked Rachel.
You have a lot going on in Fireweed…how did youhandle the details of the BioSynergy corporate world?
Research. Plus Ihappened to know a person in the field that provide some insights.
I swear, as I'm reading I feel like I'm the one wading intothe river to catch the fish, or flying in the plane through the pass, orwatching the mama bear and her cubs…or cringing at the bullet that wings by myear! How did you research the Alaska aspect of the book?
As Imention in my dedication page, I owe that to my oldest son who has madeAlaska his home. He's a guide and outfitter up there and hooked me up withseveral lodge managers to talk with. Since he's also a pilot with a small planesuch as I mention in the book, he took me up on flights few would get a chanceto do. Believe me, so much of that comes from him as I listened to his storiesof his adventures. The mom part of me could have gotten worried but the writerpart of me rubbed her hands together and said, "Oh, this is gooood!"
Lucky you! Alaska is a dream vacation for me and the hubby someday. So, you're considering a third book for Mike and Caitlin...any hints of where that will take them?
I'm playing around with maybe someplace in Europeright now.
Good choice! I know you're busy at the computer these days…what else doyou have planned for the next couple months.
I want to get my nextWoman's Fiction book up as a digital book. It's called Better Than Dessert andis book 1 for what I refer to as my Double Ds' books. It's a group of womenfriends who've been best friends forever. Each book will have the main plotcenter around a crisis in one of the women's lives and how they handle it aswell as how this changes them and their friendship. I hope to have it availablein early February. I've got book 2 finished in rough draft and then I'll beworking on revising and editing that. And of course, Mike and Caitlin willdemand some times too. I also blog every Sunday. So these jobs will keep mebusy. Looking forward to the new books and I have to say, I love your blog! Very inspiring.
Without further ado, here's...
FIREWEED, by Casey Clifford
Genre: Romantic suspense/mystery
Heat: Sensual
From the tingling prickles nippingat her calves, Caitlin figured she had been jogging far beyond her usual sixmiles. During her early run, she encountered no problems. Not from the terrain.Not from any carnivorous animals. Her body was a different story. Succumbing toa severe muscle spasm, she slowed her pace, glanced at her watch, and promisedherself a fifteen minute rest when she reached that far clump of willows andcottonwoods. As a small reward, she might even nosh on a power bar. She wasn't hungry,but an energy boost would only help her next miles. She glanced around her andbehind her.
By her calculations, she had to bewell past the half-way point.
Still no sign of Matt or Gus. Oranything else except the vast expanse of the lake, the brooding mountainsencircling her and the lake, the chirps of shore birds, the squee of huntingeagles. The air contained no distinctive odors. Was this really what fresh airsmelled like?
Her aloneness awed her. Humbledher. She could disappear in this land and probably never be found. Like Justin?
That wouldn't happen. Somethingdeep inside her affirmed her trust in this land. It would give back Justin. Itwould somehow recognize the good man he had been. He deserved to be returned tohis loved ones. This land and the spirits that roamed it would make thathappen.
As tiny and powerless as she feltnow in this huge land engulfing her, she didn't fear it. It understood therightness of her mission, the love in her heart. She would succeed and bringhelp for those back at the lodge.
Five minutes later she reached thesheltering willows. She pulled a red bandana from her fanny pack and dipped itin the cold water of the stream running through the willows and emptying intothe lake. The sound of silence encompassed her as she buried her face in thedripping rag and hummed off key Simon and Garfunkel's anthem.
Draping the moist bandana aroundher neck, she sat on a fallen log and slowly massaged her calves. First oneaching muscle. Then the other. While she kneaded and rubbed, she watched a busythreesome of black and white magpies make a fluttering, two-footed landing notfar from her. Their birdy chattiness shattered the stillness and eased hersense of aloneness.
She munched on her power bar; itscalories would energize her for this last lap. Based on her pace and the time,she estimated she had completed a good two thirds of the distance to the cabin.She looked at the opaque blue sky above her. Daylight seemed duller.
She chewed on the last bit of herbar. What was Mike doing now? Were he and the others safe? Was he worried abouther? And Beth? What was happening with her and Brian?
Mike was such a dear worrywart.Almost as bad as she was. She laughed out loud, sending the magpies flappingoff toward the trees.
She glanced at her watch. Five morerestful minutes, then back to pounding the trail. Oh, the stories she and Mikewould tell her their families about their adventures on this trip. UnlikeJustin who might not return at all–ever.
Then a vision of Beth floated behindher eyelids. The young teen, so destitute of mothering. Could Caitlin providethe structure and guidance Beth might need? From all Caitlin knew about teenagegirls, they could be a handful with raging hormones, heightened emotions andchanging their personalities faster than an Oscar hostess changed costumes.Could they mesh their needs, make this new family circle work, especially withher new responsibilities at BioSynergy?
But first things first. She neededto get help.
~*~
You can find Casey Clifford, her awesome blog, and the books in the Affair Series here:
Author website: http://caseyclifford.wordpress.com
Pick up your copy of Fireweed today! Amazon: http://amzn.to/uPWCi0 B & N: http://bit.ly/zazuZZ
And if you want to check out
BlackRibbon Affair
first: Amazon: http://amzn.to/pCRWKE B & N: http://bit.ly/wikxrP
Who is Mary Jo Scheibl writing as Casey Clifford?
A short summary of my life mightbe as follows: "She's been there, done that, and is still trying…"
She's not perfect and wouldn'twant to be. She was determined to finishcollege and graduate school to teach college level classes. She accomplishedthis while working and single-parenting 3 sons. She taught for 27 years andretired to pursue what she dreamed of doing since she was a child—write thestories that had been tumbling about in her head.
Today she writes women's fictionand romantic suspense as Casey Clifford. Her first novel received the HoltMedallion for Literary Achievement for Best First Book of 2009. She also wonthe Write Touch Readers' Award for the same book in the romantic suspense category.She blogs every Sunday and dabbles in photography.
She strives daily to be a wisewoman and believes all her heroines have already gotten there.
Thank you so much for being here and sharing about your books, Casey! Don't forget to leave a comment with your contact email and Casey will draw a name and post the winner on Wednesday.
Good luck!
Stacey Joy Netzel
The first book in Casey's Affair series-- Black Ribbon Affair --was so good it kept me up till the early hours of the morning. I'm about 3/4ths of the way through Fireweed and it's just as good. I can't wait to see how it ends!
Here's a short note from Casey and then she was kind enough to answer a couple of my questions. Take it away, Casey!
This opportunity toshare my recent book today came up a bit unexpectedly. But life is really allabout being spontaneous and rolling with the opportunities, right? Anyway, I'mvery excited to share a bit about the second book in what I call the AffairSeries, a romantic mystery/suspense with continuing characters. I've envisionedthis to be a lot like the old TB series Hart to Hart, if you can remember that.For those of you whoread the first book, Black Ribbon Affair , Fireweed has the main charactersCaitlin and Mike now married and on a fishing trip in Alaska. In this book youget a chance to see them deal with a tough situation but in a setting they aretotally unfamiliar with.
Ilove this series because it depicts a romantic married couple who are dealingwith life and problems and it usually will have a secondary love plot inaddition to the mystery/suspense. I'll be checking in if you have anyquestions or comments.
What is it about the continuing characters that drew you towrite another book in this series?
First of all, myhubby fell in love with Caitlin and suggested I had to do another book. Thenonce Black Ribbon came out and I heard from readers, most of them wanted toknow more about Caitlin and Mike. Since I really loved Hart to Hart, and I alsolove Eve and Roake as married couples in mystery suspense, I decided I'dcontinue on for at least one more book. I'm playing with ideas for the suspenseplot for #3. And because readers also asked me about Rachel who's Caitlin'sassistant in Black Ribbon, I'm playing around with doing a novella for herbackstory with Caitlin in it for sure because I really liked Rachel.
You have a lot going on in Fireweed…how did youhandle the details of the BioSynergy corporate world?
Research. Plus Ihappened to know a person in the field that provide some insights.
I swear, as I'm reading I feel like I'm the one wading intothe river to catch the fish, or flying in the plane through the pass, orwatching the mama bear and her cubs…or cringing at the bullet that wings by myear! How did you research the Alaska aspect of the book?
As Imention in my dedication page, I owe that to my oldest son who has madeAlaska his home. He's a guide and outfitter up there and hooked me up withseveral lodge managers to talk with. Since he's also a pilot with a small planesuch as I mention in the book, he took me up on flights few would get a chanceto do. Believe me, so much of that comes from him as I listened to his storiesof his adventures. The mom part of me could have gotten worried but the writerpart of me rubbed her hands together and said, "Oh, this is gooood!"
Lucky you! Alaska is a dream vacation for me and the hubby someday. So, you're considering a third book for Mike and Caitlin...any hints of where that will take them?
I'm playing around with maybe someplace in Europeright now.
Good choice! I know you're busy at the computer these days…what else doyou have planned for the next couple months.
I want to get my nextWoman's Fiction book up as a digital book. It's called Better Than Dessert andis book 1 for what I refer to as my Double Ds' books. It's a group of womenfriends who've been best friends forever. Each book will have the main plotcenter around a crisis in one of the women's lives and how they handle it aswell as how this changes them and their friendship. I hope to have it availablein early February. I've got book 2 finished in rough draft and then I'll beworking on revising and editing that. And of course, Mike and Caitlin willdemand some times too. I also blog every Sunday. So these jobs will keep mebusy. Looking forward to the new books and I have to say, I love your blog! Very inspiring.
Without further ado, here's...
FIREWEED, by Casey Clifford
Genre: Romantic suspense/mystery
Heat: Sensual
From the tingling prickles nippingat her calves, Caitlin figured she had been jogging far beyond her usual sixmiles. During her early run, she encountered no problems. Not from the terrain.Not from any carnivorous animals. Her body was a different story. Succumbing toa severe muscle spasm, she slowed her pace, glanced at her watch, and promisedherself a fifteen minute rest when she reached that far clump of willows andcottonwoods. As a small reward, she might even nosh on a power bar. She wasn't hungry,but an energy boost would only help her next miles. She glanced around her andbehind her.
By her calculations, she had to bewell past the half-way point.
Still no sign of Matt or Gus. Oranything else except the vast expanse of the lake, the brooding mountainsencircling her and the lake, the chirps of shore birds, the squee of huntingeagles. The air contained no distinctive odors. Was this really what fresh airsmelled like?
Her aloneness awed her. Humbledher. She could disappear in this land and probably never be found. Like Justin?
That wouldn't happen. Somethingdeep inside her affirmed her trust in this land. It would give back Justin. Itwould somehow recognize the good man he had been. He deserved to be returned tohis loved ones. This land and the spirits that roamed it would make thathappen.
As tiny and powerless as she feltnow in this huge land engulfing her, she didn't fear it. It understood therightness of her mission, the love in her heart. She would succeed and bringhelp for those back at the lodge.
Five minutes later she reached thesheltering willows. She pulled a red bandana from her fanny pack and dipped itin the cold water of the stream running through the willows and emptying intothe lake. The sound of silence encompassed her as she buried her face in thedripping rag and hummed off key Simon and Garfunkel's anthem.
Draping the moist bandana aroundher neck, she sat on a fallen log and slowly massaged her calves. First oneaching muscle. Then the other. While she kneaded and rubbed, she watched a busythreesome of black and white magpies make a fluttering, two-footed landing notfar from her. Their birdy chattiness shattered the stillness and eased hersense of aloneness.
She munched on her power bar; itscalories would energize her for this last lap. Based on her pace and the time,she estimated she had completed a good two thirds of the distance to the cabin.She looked at the opaque blue sky above her. Daylight seemed duller.
She chewed on the last bit of herbar. What was Mike doing now? Were he and the others safe? Was he worried abouther? And Beth? What was happening with her and Brian?
Mike was such a dear worrywart.Almost as bad as she was. She laughed out loud, sending the magpies flappingoff toward the trees.
She glanced at her watch. Five morerestful minutes, then back to pounding the trail. Oh, the stories she and Mikewould tell her their families about their adventures on this trip. UnlikeJustin who might not return at all–ever.
Then a vision of Beth floated behindher eyelids. The young teen, so destitute of mothering. Could Caitlin providethe structure and guidance Beth might need? From all Caitlin knew about teenagegirls, they could be a handful with raging hormones, heightened emotions andchanging their personalities faster than an Oscar hostess changed costumes.Could they mesh their needs, make this new family circle work, especially withher new responsibilities at BioSynergy?
But first things first. She neededto get help.
~*~
You can find Casey Clifford, her awesome blog, and the books in the Affair Series here:
Author website: http://caseyclifford.wordpress.com
Pick up your copy of Fireweed today! Amazon: http://amzn.to/uPWCi0 B & N: http://bit.ly/zazuZZ
And if you want to check out
BlackRibbon Affair
first: Amazon: http://amzn.to/pCRWKE B & N: http://bit.ly/wikxrPWho is Mary Jo Scheibl writing as Casey Clifford?
A short summary of my life mightbe as follows: "She's been there, done that, and is still trying…"
She's not perfect and wouldn'twant to be. She was determined to finishcollege and graduate school to teach college level classes. She accomplishedthis while working and single-parenting 3 sons. She taught for 27 years andretired to pursue what she dreamed of doing since she was a child—write thestories that had been tumbling about in her head.
Today she writes women's fictionand romantic suspense as Casey Clifford. Her first novel received the HoltMedallion for Literary Achievement for Best First Book of 2009. She also wonthe Write Touch Readers' Award for the same book in the romantic suspense category.She blogs every Sunday and dabbles in photography.
She strives daily to be a wisewoman and believes all her heroines have already gotten there.
Thank you so much for being here and sharing about your books, Casey! Don't forget to leave a comment with your contact email and Casey will draw a name and post the winner on Wednesday.
Good luck!
Stacey Joy Netzel
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