Sarah | Redefining Perfect

Thursday Tell All – Meet Gwyn Snow of Hero for Hire

by Sarah | Oct 2, 2013 | Character Interview, Guest Authors, Thursday Tell All, Writing

What is your story?

Gwyn: My story is one of a dedicated scientist who trusted the wrong people and ended the world as we know it. Yes—I (inadvertently) caused the zombie apocalypse.

Sorry about that.

If it helps, I’m working to fix it, and I’ve made good progress on solving the problem.

Who are you?

Goodness. That’s a difficult question. If you had asked Rafe, he would have tossed something flippant your way and moved on. But I find myself unable to do that, although I envy him the ability.

Who am I? Well, I am more than the person I was when my story began in Hero for Hire. Then, I was a scientist. That encompassed the important pieces of who I was. Now? I’m a foster mother to a pack of boys. I am a lover to the most amazing man I’ve had the privilege to know. I’m a terrible cook, with a family who eats my unappetizing offerings and pretends that they like them. I’m the destroyer of the world as we knew it. I’m trying to become restorer of the world, one infected at a time.

I’m Gwyn.

Do you embrace conflict?

I do not. Before everything went badly, I used to avoid conflict at all costs. It’s part of what led the events that caused the end of our world. Now? I don’t like conflict, and I certainly don’t seek it out, but I do not run from it, and when necessary, I can fight as hard as Rafe and our boys. Some things are worth the battle. I’ve learned that.

4. How do you see yourself?

I’m strong. I never knew that about myself before the world ended. Now I do. I’m strong, and I am capable of so much more than I ever thought possible.

What, if anything, haunts you?

As you can probably guess, I really regret having trusted Miriam. I really regret not acknowledging her jealousy, and protecting against what she might do. My failure to stand up to her back at the beginning caused the deaths of so many. There are people that I will never have the chance to cure, and it could all have been prevented. I try not to think about it too much, because that much guilt can paralyze, and I still have a job to do. I still have a world to restore.

Has anyone ever betrayed you?

Miriam didn’t do me any favors. But the people in my life now? I’d trust them with my life. I do actually, every day.

Have you ever failed anyone?

I failed everyone. The apocalypse was my fault—at least in part. I’m trying to mitigate the damage now, but I will never make that right.

Who was your first love?

Is it pathetic to say Rafe? I dated off an on before him, but he was the first person to really see me. And he was the first person who really touched me, who reached that secret place inside that we all have but never intentionally let people into.

Was there ever a defining moment of your life?

When I left Rafe to go back to the lab, that moment was a defining one for me. I knew what I was choosing, and I did it anyway, because the reward was worth what I was giving up.

What one word best describes you?

Determined.

What don’t you like about yourself?

I’m awkward. My family adores me, and they don’t mind, but I know that socially I am awkward. I wish I were warm, and open and easy to know like Rafe is. But I’m not, and I suppose that is okay. Because I do like who I’ve become.

What is more important – sex or intimacy? Why?

Intimacy. What is the point of sex without it? Just two people satisfying a base urge? For me, to let someone have that sort of access to me and who I am requires intimacy. Otherwise I just can’t do it.

Do you think redemption is possible? If so, can anyone be redeemed, or are there only certain circumstances that can be? If not, why do you think nothing can redeem itself?

I certainly hope so. I’m working on that redemption every day.

*~*

One day her prince would come…disguised as a zombie-killer. Having been disgraced and tossed out by her own scientific community, Gwyn is convinced she can develop a cure for a SuperVirus that has turned the Infected into zombies. By pure luck and determination, she has survived on her own for years, but while out scavenging, a clash with the local zombies leaves her potentially infected. Now, running out of time, she needs help and takes a chance on a hero for hire.

Rafe loves the apocalypse. Since the world went to hell, everything’s come up roses for him. Having procured a mansion in the Hollywood hills, adopted a slew of homeless boys and one cantankerous but useful Doc, Mr. Charming is benefiting from the nasty zombie infestation. His job? Killing the bastards, which he considers fun anyway. Gwyn Snow needs Rafe Charming to help retrieve her research from the Paragon Pharmaceuticals lab, also known as Zombie Central. Believing she can yet save the world, Gwyn makes Rafe question what’s right and what’s worth the fight.

CONTENT WARNING: Prince Charming, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves as you’ve never seen them before. Tales From Beyond the End, #1 A Lyrical Press Fantasy Romance – Once Upon”

*~*

Excerpt:

“I was on the vaccine team,” she said. “The team leader was a woman named Miriam Armstrong. She’s a brilliant woman, but her aspirations clouded her vision, so when I came up with a workable vaccine, she stole my formula. She re-engineered it, thinking she could make improvements. I complained, but no one was interested. Because she was the team leader, she took credit for the vaccine. When the vaccine was distributed and administered, my best guess is that it reacted with the live virus to cause mutation.”

“That’s just shitty.”

“It appears there are a couple of levels of mutation, producing a higher level of functioning in the infected individual, much like what you described–strong, fast, cunning, violent and with some heightened senses.”

“Right. But there are also some who are just lumbering meat sacks. I think the smarter ones eat those when they can’t find anything fresher, so to speak.”

She shuddered. “The point is, I can fix them. I can still cure them. That’s what I’ve been working on for the last eighteen months, but I need my journals at the lab to reconstruct my original work.”

I cocked a brow at her, displaying my best you’ve-got-to-be-shitting-me expression.

“You really think you can cure those things out there?”

“I know I can.”

She pushed the hair out of her face again, looking me in the eyes. The conviction shining there and echoed in her voice, almost made me believe her. But, I had no faith those animals would ever be human again. The point was she believed they could be cured. Now I had a much better grasp of the guilt and pain that ate at her conscience.

Not only was she gorgeous, she was smart, she was vulnerable and she had an adorable awkwardness that did crazy things to me. I’d never met a woman like her. Ever. I tried not to, but I fell for her, just like that. This was probably not the reaction she was looking for–it sure as hell surprised me–but being the go-with-your-gut kinda guy I was, I did the only thing I could in the circumstances.

“What the hell,” I said, and leaned in to kiss her. The shock when our lips met sent a jolt down my spine, settling somewhere just south of my belt buckle. I couldn’t stop the growl in my throat as I took her deeper. My hands reached up, fingers tangling in the hair at her nape. I gave into the need and pulled her body into mine. She kissed like she didn’t know how, tentative, almost dainty. I smiled against her lips at her sharp intake of breath when I introduced my tongue into her mouth.

God, she tasted so sweet it made me dizzy. She mewed a little sound, returning my kiss, convincing me she had actually done this before. When I placed my other hand at her lower back and pulled her against the enthusiastic bulge in my jeans, she broke the kiss. She took a step away, a shocked look on her face.

“What’s the matter, Princess, too much for you?”

About Merissa

I love to read, write, drink strong coffee and eat dark chocolate–not necessarily in that order and sometimes all at once. I live in the deep South, with my very own superhero, and my three minions. Together, we attempt to take over the world.

When not otherwise occupied with planning world domination, I’m a voracious reader and adore happy endings. I write what I love to read, so I write romance and stories with romantic elements to them.

My novella Hero for Hire, written jointly with the fabulous Margaret Bail is due for release on October 1, 2013. It’s a Paranormal Romance featuring a campy post apocalyptic take on the Snow White tale, and is the first in our Tales from Beyond the End series.

I love feedback and messages, so please feel free to contact me at www.facebook.com/MerissaMcCain,

twitter.com/MerissaMcCain/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7199113.Merissa_McCain,

http://triberr.com/MerissaMcCain

or via email at merissa.mccain@gmail.com

*~*

About Margaret

Hi. I’m Margaret Madigan. Or M.K.D. Bail, depending on what literary genre we’re talking about!

I live in the vast Northern Plains where it’s quiet and mostly empty, and very conducive to letting my imagination run wild. As a result, I have difficulty focusing on just one genre of storytelling. Of course, I love romance, so I write a lot of that, but I also write science fiction, and dabble in other genres just for the fun of it.

When I’m not writing you’ll find me in a college classroom teaching English, or working as a literary agent for an amazing agency…and of course enjoying time with my family.

Thanks for visiting my page. Like Merissa, I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to contact me with comments, requests, feedback, or messages at

Twitter.com/mmadiganauthor/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7242698.Margaret_Madigan

https://www.facebook.com/mmadiganauthor

Hump Day Hook 44 – Dark Territory

by Sarah | Oct 1, 2013 | Books, Changing Tracks, Dark Territory, Derailed, Hump Day Hook, Publishing Credits, Secret Cravings Publishing, Writing

Back to Hump Day Hook!

Past couple of weeks have been a bit out of sorts for me, but I’m back…and with Dark Territory again with a switch…this time it has been released and my first reader email raving about my Jane and my Cole have left me in such a very good mood.

Cole and Graham have been maneuvering, bribing, and coercing to keep Jane’s non-death under wraps. Rusty has written an article on the “new” librarian in town:

The article was cut and dry from what he could tell. Her credentials were listed, and Rusty said she’d been a librarian out east.

Mail-order bride, brought out West by Cole Mitchell.

“What?”

That was all it took to send Graham reeling again. The man was literally purple when he fell back on his ass, pointing at Cole.

“That little son of a bi—”

*~*

Hump Day Hook asks authors to post one paragraph of one of their stories, whether a WIP, one contracted, or already published. Please visit and comment on the participants – you might just stumble on the next great read for your library! To see more participants, click on the HDH banner below:

A Clean Slate for the Temperamental One

by Sarah | Sep 30, 2013 | All About Kennedy, All About Learning, Anger Issues, Special Needs

* <–This picture really says it all when it comes to my kids.

Denver is the aloof teenager.

Molly is the shy, slightly awkward middle’un.

And Kennedy…

Well, we love Kennedy.

She’s got the attitude.

The stubborn streak.

The temper.

*~*

Last year over the course of the school year we had many issues with Kennedy.

Her grades and smarts were impeccable. She moved into the advanced reader classes, and has continued on that course this year.

However, we had other issues.

Lying.

Stealing.

Stealing again.

More lies.

There was regular emails between myself and her teacher to verify facts and get our ducks in a row.

Her temper was another issue again, frequent, but not overly so.

She went to ‘friendship classes’, and had sessions with the guidance counselor.

It was quite a year for little K.

*~*

This year we debated.

“Do we warn the teacher?”

We decided not to.

We gave her a pass, a clean slate to try to make this year better all on her own.

So far, it appears to be working…

but we’ll know for sure at Parent Teacher Conference.

~fingers crossed~

Tuesday Tales – Rough, Hard and oh so Dirty…

by Sarah | Sep 30, 2013 | Books, Holiday, Secret Cravings Publishing, Tuesday Tales, Writing

The prompt this week is a little more complicated than usual. It was originally Rough, but we just did that a few weeks ago…so through some…interesting discussions we ended up with a special challenge…to use the three words Rough, Hard, and Dirty in any particular order.

So it’s back to Deep Fried Sweethearts with my May/December-ish romance of Michaela and Owen, aka “Tag”. I thought it was time to give them a connection beyond their mutual physical attraction…but first Michaela has to deal with a pleasant awakening…

As always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors:

“Michaela?” A warm hand grasped her shoulder and shook gently.

Michaela jolted awake and blurted, “I’m up, I’m up.” She immediately started to straighten the papers on her desk, as if it would cover the fact she was just dreaming about the young man who’d shook her awake. Naughty dreams the likes she’d never had. Despite her joking with Eve to save face, Michaela considered herself a total prude, but her latest dreams proved her wrong.

Dreams of Owen bending her over this very desk and taking her rough, hard, and oh so dirty lingered in her mind and the trickle of sweat the slipped down the nape of her neck. She normally wouldn’t dare face him while the dreams were still at the forefront, but his chuckle drew her gaze anyway.

He covered his mouth with a hand while leaning against the file cabinets lining the wall.

“I’m awake,” she defended before he could even speak. “It was just a cat nap.”

“Of course you are.” His snort burst from behind his hand and he let out a good loud bark of a laugh. “You have a really cute snore.”

“I wasn’t—I…” Unfortunately, his laughter was contagious and she found herself joining him before she could form a good argument. She rubbed her face with both hands and groaned. “I’m sorry. I never do that, especially when we’re open. I’ve slept on the couch a couple of times when I had to work late, but to snooze during business hours?”

“You’re exhausted. You’ve got to stop killing yourself.” He turned the chair next to her around and straddled it. When he leaned his forearms on the back, she was inevitably drawn to his glorious biceps.

Man, she was so screwed. She gave her head a quick shake to clear it. “It’s my business, Owen. I will never stop killing myself for it.”

“You need rest, or you’ll be no good to the business.” He smiled, and set his hand on her wrist. “Why don’t you go home and take a nap? I’m here now, I’ll keep an eye on things and you can be back well before closing. Maybe tonight you’ll actually let me help settle the numbers.”

Based on all the skill he’d shown in everything she’d thrown at him, she had no doubt he was capable of handling closing the registers and setting the deposit, but the thought still sent a knot of tension right to stomach. She wrinkled her nose and forced a smile. “Maybe.”

“I can’t earn your trust if you don’t let me try.”

“It’s not about that.”

“Yes it is. You don’t trust easily. If you did you’d have team leads that could close the drawers at night.” His grasp loosened on her wrist, and he sighed. “They don’t have to even handle anything other than dropping their money into the safe like they would any other cash drop. We, or you, could handle the deposit yourself then the next day.”

“Then I wouldn’t need you.” Even though the thought of anyone handling the cash turned her stomach, she had to try and cover it with something, even teasing him.

“Yes you would. I’m irreplaceable.”

She grinned and relaxed at his return tease. “I’m not so sure.”

“I think you are, you’re just afraid to admit it, among other things.”

“Is that so?” As much as she wanted to curb the rising blush, she couldn’t take her eyes from his. “Anyway, about me leaving, I really shouldn’t.”

“I think the place will be all right for a couple of hours. You live two blocks away.”

“So what were you up to this morning? You’re filthy.” She couldn’t stop looking at his arms, that’s how she’d noticed the dark smudges near his elbow and wrist. “Grease?”

“Oil. I thought I got it all.” He lifted his arm, his forehead puckering into an adorable hint of a frown. “Damn, don’t worry I’ll get good and cleaned up before I touch food. Maybe I should have you check me thoroughly.”

A task she sure wouldn’t mind for a minute. She managed to laugh to cover the choking lump in her throat and heat the idea sent right to her core. “Cute. Real cute. What were you doing, grease monkey?”

“I was at Cal’s working on my Nova.”

This time she did choke on her own laughter, and she blinked a few times. “I’m sorry, did you say a Nova? As in a No-Go?”

Owen stopped examining his arms and his gaze snapped to meet hers. “What did you say?”

“A No-Go…are you really working on one?”

“Uh, yeah. I mean, um…”

Michaela couldn’t recall a time he’d been at a loss for words, and she liked the change even if it lasted for a second. “What year?”

“A 76 SS. Why?”

Warmth filled her heart and for the first time in a logn time, embarrassment was banished to the edge of her mind. “I just can’t believe it.”

“What?”

“You have to swear not to tell anyone. It’ll just perpetuate my nickname worse than it already is.”

“Okay.” He might have been thoroughly confused, but at least he’d managed a smile when she’d suggested keeping it a secret.

“Good.” She rose and closed the office door most of the way before heading to the small file cabinet behind her desk. After unlocking it, she opened it and dug through her too-big purse for her wallet. “Okay, this isn’t the best picture. I have several much better ones at home.”

Owen rose and turned his chair around to edge closer. Once they were shoulder to shoulder, she showed him the picture. He gasped and snatched the picture from her fingers. “Holy crap.”

“That’s my dad and me, and my baby. I call her Betty.”

“I have never seen her, where do you hide her?” He ran his index finger along the lines of the black Nova in the picture.

“New York winters are assholes to cars, especially beauties like Betty.” She leaned in close. “I used to take her out in the summers, but when things with Gary got bad, I didn’t want to risk her getting caught in the crossfire.”

“Tell me you didn’t sell it.”

“Technically, I did—but I sold her to Dad. With he and Mom down in Virginia, it wasn’t part of the crap-fest of my divorce and she’s being well cared for.”

“You’ve been divorced five years. Why not get her back?”

“First couple of years, I didn’t care about anything, then this place happened and all my focus has been here.” She sighed and took the picture back. “I guess that’s part of why I wanted to get an assistant manager. Maybe then I’d have time to get her back.”

“Who restored her for you? Looks like an amazing job.”

“No one. Dad and I did it all ourselves. From frame to chrome.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yup. Dad had some rules about driving and getting a license. I had to be able to change my own oil and tires, I had to know how the engine worked, and I had to learn on a stick before I went to an automatic.” She shrugged and offered a smile. With a bit of regret, she slipped the picture back into its place in her wallet. “Turned out, I loved it, but I didn’t like to tell anyone. They already called me Mikey, I didn’t need to add fuel to the tomboy fire.”

“Damn. You just got so much cooler.”

“Cooler?” She giggled and nudged his shoulder with her own. When she turned to say something, she realized just how close he was. Embarrassment started to flutter and flap again, rising from the place she’d tried to bury it. She could kiss him now, he was so close, but she couldn’t dare for so many reasons. “I’m glad you think so.”

“I think more than that.” His trademark grin returned and he edged closer. “Like you should get yourself to bed.”

With you? Please say with you. She’d officially lost her mind. Owen was her employee and so young, both huge red flags against starting something.

“So are you going?”

“I can’t.”

“You have to start trusting someone sometime. Trust me for two hours. I swear I’ll call you in two hours, but you have to sleep.”

The last thing on her mind at that moment was sleep, but it would have to do for now. She finally nodded, “I’ll try. I don’t do naps well.”

“You just had one on your desk, I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“Can’t I just sleep here on the couch?”

“Let go, Michaela. Trust me.”

“Easier said than done.”

*~*
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*~*

Sunday Snippet 4 – Changing Tracks

by Sarah | Sep 28, 2013 | Books, Changing Tracks, Secret Cravings Publishing, WeWriWa, Writing

Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

Book 3 of my Dominion Falls Series released this week over at Secret Cravings Publishing. But today, I’m keeping you all intrigued with the beginning of the series [amazon_link id=”B00BEMN5SC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Changing Tracks (The Dominion Falls Series book 1)[/amazon_link].

Cole has stepped in to “help” my wonderful amnesiac with an eidetic memory, Jane Doe. Their moment of flirtation featured last week was interrupted by the wealthiest man in town, Jackson Krenshaw. Cole rather despises the man and doesn’t appreciate Jackson’s offer of “a proposal” to help Jane out. He uses his own brand of wit to counter the insults from Jackson:

After another step toward Jackson, Cole snarled, “I told you she ain’t interested.”

“Oh, really? You don’t even know what my proposition is and neither does she. Don’t worry, you don’t have to wrap your little brain around it, Cole, just let me handle things. You are beneath her, I’ve heard how smart she is.”

“I ain’t beneath her yet. That’ll come and so will she.” Cole grinned at the twist of disgust on Jackson’s face.

*Creative editing was used to make this fit in the 8.

*~*

Did you like this sample, too? You can pick up the whole series now!!