by Sarah | Jul 15, 2013 | Character Interview, Guest Authors, Writing
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to your author’s attention? Occupation?
My name is Jesse Colter, 36, former SEAL, now Chief of Police of the town I grew up in, Marshall’s Creek, Virginia. My childhood sucked—my father was a drunk and a bully who liked nothing more than to take out his frustrations on me. My mother disappeared when I was a kid. He always claimed she ran away with another man, but I’ve always suspected he killed her. I came to my author’s attention the day I rescued Sarah Marshall from falling out of a tree.
What or who is the greatest love of your life? Why? What drew you to them?
Sarah Marshall is the only woman I have ever loved, the only woman I ever will love. I met her the summer she was 13, dangling upside down from a broken tree limb 40 feet above the ground. I was nineteen, but she intrigued me. She was an arresting combination of child and adult. She grew up rich, but her childhood sucked as much as mine did, just in different ways. Her father had no time for her, so she was raised by tutors and nannies. She was the first person to really listen to me. To value my opinion. To actually seek it out. She bullied me into reading all her favorite books just so she could get my opinion on them. She turned me into an inveterate reader, for which I’ll always be grateful. My life was a throwaway until I met Sarah. But I knew if I claimed her, I would ruin her life, and so I left, a decision that would nearly destroy both of us. A decision I will spend the rest of my life making up to her. Because I can’t imagine my life without her.
What’s your greatest fear?
I’m a dominant—so is my best friend Adam, who also happens to be in love with Sarah. We want to introduce her to the D/s way of life, but we’re afraid that the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-fiance will not let her submit to us. I can’t change what I am, but if it comes down to having to choose between BDSM or Sarah, I’ll choose Sarah, even at the risk of losing part of myself.
What’s your motto in life?
Honesty
How do the other characters in your book view you?
My best friend and brother, Adam Sinclair, knows me as a dom, a fellow SEAL, and a man of principle. We love and admire each other.
What do you prefer? To spread & hear gossip, or be the creator of gossip fodder?
Since I believe that honesty is the only way to build trust, I want nothing to do with gossip.
What is it about you that is going to draw us readers in?
I’m sexy (lol). I love fiercely and forever, and will fight to the death to protect those I cherish. I abhor bullies and abusers of women—any women. Women are to be loved, revered, protected and treasured. With a little spanking thrown in just to spice things up.
What was your happiest moment?
When Sarah told me she loved me.
What trait in others do you find most deplorable?
I deplore dishonesty.
The random question: If you were a color, what color would you be and why?
I would be deep purple, because that is the color of passion.
*~*~*~*
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Eight years ago Jesse Colter fled his small town, leaving behind eighteen-year-old Sarah Marshall. Now a retired Navy SEAL, he’s back and he wants only one thing—Sarah Marshall—preferably bound, naked and kneeling before him.
Sarah has never forgotten Jesse. He’s been the object of all her sexual fantasies since she was fifteen, as well as the star of nightly dreams that have become increasingly erotic over the years. So when he suddenly reappears in her life, she warily agrees to let him introduce her to his world—the world of BDSM. When he also introduces her to his best friend, Adam Sinclair, Sarah faces the challenge of submitting to two powerful, Dominant men.
But Sarah has an even bigger problem. A stalker. Someone from her past who is determined to destroy any chance she has at happiness. Can Adam and Jesse love and protect her? Or will her world explode in betrayal and violence that will destroy them all?
*~*
EXCERPT
Uh-oh. She was in trouble now. A quick glance in her rear view mirror confirmed the
strobing red and blue lights of the unmarked police cruiser behind her, a black, Humvee H3 Alpha, powerful and forbidding, with a slight air of menace. Just like its occupant.
Jesse Colter.
Sarah’s throat thickened and she suddenly couldn’t breathe. She shut her eyes, trying to calm herself, but her nerves felt like stinging nettles burning her skin. Why hadn’t anyone told her that the newly-hired Chief of Police she was scheduled to meet with today was Jesse Colter? She’d left work the moment she heard his name, desperate to avoid this very encounter. I’m not ready, she thought, pushing against the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. I’ll never be ready!
Blowing out her breath, she wiped her sweating hands on her skirt. Her belly clenched as hot juice gathered in her feminine folds. How could he still affect her like this? She hadn’t seen him for eight years. Not since he’d abruptly disappeared the day of her eighteenth birthday.
At least, she hadn’t seen him in person.
But she had seen him nearly every night of those eight years. In her dreams. She’d seen him and tasted him and felt him as if he’d been real. As if he’d been there. She’d seen him rising over her, preparing to enter her. Tasted his full, moist lips and thrusting tongue. Felt his massive cock stretching her, filling her until she was sobbing and screaming out his name—only to wake up on the edge of an explosive orgasm that melted away even as he melted away, like a chalk painting in the rain. Her dreams of Jesse were just that. Dreams.
Eyes riveted to the side mirror, she watched, dry-mouthed as he unfolded himself from the interior of the Hummer and rose to his full height of six feet three inches. He stood without moving, just staring in her direction, his eyes hidden behind the mirrored lenses of his aviator sunglasses.
God, he was even more gorgeous than she remembered. Gypsy-dark, panther-lean, his magnificent body was taut with the unyielding ripple of tempered steel. Her eyes roamed over his beloved face, with its strong, square jaw, hawk’s beak of a nose and full, sensuous lips. And those killer cheekbones—Lord have mercy. To Sarah’s eyes, there had always been something raw and untamed about him.
There still was.
*~*
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Julie has always loved stories, both reading and writing them, ever since she was old enough to hold a book in her hands. One of her favorite childhood activities was smuggling books under the covers to read by flashlight after she was supposed to be asleep.
A career as a children’s librarian eventually led to her dream career as a freelance storyteller and puppeteer, a business she operated successfully for twenty-five years. During that time she created and wrote all the original material for a monthly language arts newsletter full of poems, songs, puppet and flannel-board stories, fingerplays, and other resource material for early childhood educators. For that endeavor she won the prestigious EDPRESS Award for the best educational newsletter of 1982. She has also written other resource materials for preschool and early elementary teachers.
After moving more than two dozen times in her life, Julie lives in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Now widowed and retired, she once again has time to devote to her two favorite things—reading and writing—especially her new love, erotic romances
MY LINKS:
www.facebook.com/Juliesheltonauthor
www.juliesheltonauthor.com
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16162502-loving-sarah
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?trk=tab_pro&id=241889558
www.amazon.com/author/julieshelton
by Sarah | Jul 15, 2013 | All About Kennedy, All About Learning, All About Me
This past school year, Kennedy was fortunate to have a pretty awesome teacher.
Among the many things she did to make the year amazing…
<—this took the cake.
She had the whole class work together. They composed a theme, and then they each wrote stories and illustrated them.
Then she had it published into a book.
Not only did it give the kids something to be proud of.
Not only did it make them interested in reading something.
It lit a fire in my baby girl.
She wants to be published before she graduates high school.
“Like you, Mom,” she says with a smile.
I love that.
I’m so proud of her and the imaginative story she wrote.
I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
by Sarah | Jul 14, 2013 | Books, The Tribe, Tuesday Tales, Writing
The prompt this week is Court.
I’m actually much farther than this in the re-writes, but Jean was curious what Velli looked like, so I brought out this excerpt from earlier in the story. It actually fit with the prompt already, but it’s a little longer…
At this point Kane has been on Tribe lands for only two days…and hasn’t yet met Velli properly…and he still isn’t going to 😉
As always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors:
Through the woods echoed the faint sounds of cheering. Men egged on a mock battle. The grunts and hits mixed into the cheers of at least two dozen men. Those in battle were holding court over more warriors than Kane had anticipated. Curious at how well the warriors handled themselves, Kane moved toward the battle.
Using years of skill to remain undetected, he got close enough to see and hear that one of the warriors kept a strong lead. He circled around until a clear shot of the two in battle made him stop short.
It wasn’t two Warriors battling.
It was just one Warrior and that woman. The one that had captured his attention at his arrival and remained in his periphery like a ghost since. Without a doubt the woman had an advantage over the trained Warrior. With an easy grace of movement she laid the Warrior out for loss.
It surprised him for the mere fact that she was almost child-like in size. In fact at first glance that’s what he’d thought she was. So short that he imagined her nose would barely touch his chest.
The height didn’t matter, her body and her disposition were all woman. Now as she battled he took another extra few minutes to admire that body again. Even in battle her feet were bare, leading to slender ankles and lean calves. Instead of a traditional dress she wore skins mirroring white man style.
Small shorts that exposed most of her legs. Every twitch of the strong muscles in her thighs when she kicked her opponent was on display. For a brief moment his mind latched onto the thought of how those strong legs would feel clamped around his waist.
He pushed aside the thought to continue his perusal. And there was plenty more to see. The top she wore wrapped tight around her chest, and cropped short just below her breasts. The bare flesh of her stomach showed not a lick of fat, just more lean muscle.
The skins strained over an ample, but not obscene bosom. Despite the amount of skin she revealed, her chest remained covered. Perhaps in preparation for battle she had them well restrained. Not that he’d have minded seeing any slip of skin.
The male she fought charged, and she spun. She bent at the torso, her leg kicking out to catch the arm that was about to swing a knife at her. The moment she made impact, he ducked to avoid further attack, but she anticipated. She continued her spin and gripped his ankles, flipping him and herself right over top of him. Somehow in the move she managed to take his weapon and step out of the flip.
Even though she’d partially disarmed him, she tossed the weapon she’d gained to the crowd. As he hopped to his feet, she moved away to face him again. This time she made the charge, feigning right before gripping his left arm and flipping him again.
The cheers grew intense, the exchange of bets growing with each moment of battle.
Out of nowhere the woman he’d been watching grew still. It didn’t take any effort to figure out she’d spotted him. There was a crooked lift of her lips, amusement dancing across her features.
Behind her the Warrior moved, and Kane had to fight back the urge to call out a warning. Not that he had to. In the moment before the blunt edge of the Warrior’s second knife made contact she moved.
Her whole body dropped straight down before spinning around to kick the Warriors legs out from under him. It ended minutes later when the knife she’d tucked in the back of her top drove into the ground right next to the Warrior’s ear.
“Féna!” She snapped, lifting the knife for another attack. Her knees drove into his biceps, the muscles of her thighs twitching at his fight. “Yield!”
The Warrior’s hand tapped the ground and a brief nod came even through his frown. The cheers of the group were mixed, a few of the men had won big on their bets.
In a rare display his Wolf growled its approval. Never once in all of his many years had the Wolf cared one way or another for a woman. Now he made his desire known alongside Kane’s. This woman was unique. He wondered if her Shift might be compatible with his.
Now that the group started to mingle and break up he slipped away through the trees. Not that he didn’t want to get to know any others in the Tribe. Right now he just wanted to get his full strength and bearings back first.
Of course he also wanted to find out about that woman. Why she alone had stirred his Wolf to attention.
“So I take it you like to watch.”
A shiver ran down his back. Her voice wove through him easily, adding to the images his imagination already employed. “Depends on what I’m watching.”
“I see. What is it about a battle that gets you going then? Is it the men? I mean, we do have some fine Warriors.” Her light laughter teased him, “Trust me, I know.”
“It wasn’t the Warriors that made me linger.” Much as he wanted to turn around, he knew that seeing her would add to his mental imagery. It could be very detrimental to a logical conversation. If he cared about such a thing. Then again, did he really care about such a thing? Because, damn. She made it seem unimportant.
“Honest. Well, either you’re honest or you just don’t like me thinking you’re ogling men.” The light touch of her fingers to his arm sent a jolt through his entire body. What the hell was it about her?
“No. Just honest. If you were honest you’d admit that you were angling for me to watch you. From the start.” He quirked a brow, “That’s why you haven’t approached me yet. Right?”
“Oooh, conceited too.” A light chuckle reached his ears. Then she stepped around him her presence a rich heat against the sudden cold pit in his stomach. Chocolate eyes, deeper than he’d imagined sought him out. The sun caught her hair, revealing a red undertone unexpected in a native of the Tribe. Then again, nothing about this woman was expected. “Perhaps I’ve just been very busy. There is a wedding happening very soon, you know.”
“So I’ve heard. The Chief’s son and the Medicine Man’s daughter. Quite a pairing.” Truth be told he’d met neither of the betrothed youths. Then again he’d met very few people on the reservation yet. By choice. “Are you saying you’re involved?”
A small twitch at the corner of delicious lips belied her amusement, “Yes. I know both of them very well. The wedding is keeping everyone busy.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
by Sarah | Jul 12, 2013 | Blog Hops, Books, Changing Tracks, Dark Territory, Derailed, Masked Hearts, Writing
Oh goody, a blog hop just for the cowboys. ~sigh~
I could wax poetic for hours about what I love about a cowboy.
Because there’s plenty.
But I’m short on time this weekend, as I’m working on a series with the cowboy’s “opposite” in culture…Indians. 😉
So I’m going to make this real easy on you folks.
My Dominion Falls series has a bad-boy that can handle horses (Cole) – he’s the go-to horse trainer in town, even over Archie, who owns the livery.
It also has a good boy cowboy-turned miner (David). He’s so good he’ll make your teeth hurt with his sweetness.
In order to win an ebook copy of both books (so far) in my Dominion Falls series* you just need to answer a simple question…
Which side of the coin do you prefer? The good ol’ boy, David – or the bad-boy Cole?
It’s that easy!
(Giveaway ends Sunday night, the 14th @11:30PM EST Winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to respond or I’ll pick another winner)
For more giveaways on the hop, head on over to the Secret Cravings Publishing blog to find them! (or just click on that picture up there, it’ll take you to SCP too)
*~*
*Disclaimer: Winner will receive one ebook copy of Changing Tracks and Derailed. If winner has one or both books, we can discuss alternate options from gift cards to advance copy of book 3, Dark Territory or a copy of Masked Hearts.
by Sarah | Jul 10, 2013 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Guest Post, Writing
I’m happy to welcome Dana Mason today. She’s talking about her series, and sharing a little about each book. Please welcome her and check out the books!!
The Embrace Series is a romantic suspense series about a group of friends from Northern California who learn how short life can be when you don’t hold on to what’s important. My characters learn the hard way what happens when you take your loved ones for granted. All three books are based on life’s second chances. Dangerous Embrace is the first in the series.
Dangerous Embrace‘s second chance theme is home. Sarah’s lived a bit of a nomad lifestyle. She’s not sure what to do when Mark is thrust upon her, offering her a world she never thought she could have.
Here is more about Dangerous Embrace:
Sarah Jennings wants nothing more than a quiet life–alone. Raised by an eccentric mother, their life on the road only taught her how to run away from hard times. When she finds herself in an abusive relationship, this lesson serves her well. Eight years later, she’s settled back in her hometown and less fearful than she’s ever been in her life. She’s a first grade teacher, and with few friends and less family around, she has what she wants, a quiet life under the radar where she can be free of her past and live quietly. Until one night and one brutal act of violence changes everything.
Injured and afraid, Sarah wants to run again, but Mark Summors refuses to let her go.
Mark was born and raised in Santa Rosa. He married his high school sweetheart and never questioned his life, until he found his wife with another man. Now divorced, he wants something more. He’s passionate about his job, he wants to protect people, and he devotes his life to it. This time he’s protecting more than just another client, he’s protecting his future; at least, Sarah Jennings will be his future, once he convinces her she loves him.
When Sarah agrees to let Mark help, she doesn’t anticipate just how important of a role he’ll play in her future or how the violence in her past will come back to threaten them both.
To celebrate the release of book two, we’re offering Dangerous Embrace FREE on Amazon from July 11th – July 14th
Dangerous Embrace Links:
Goodreads
[amazon_link id=”1938404238″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon.com[/amazon_link]
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
*~*
The second book in the Embrace Series is Precious Embrace. The theme in this book is still based on second chances, but it also circles around family. Johnny was raised by his aunt and uncle after losing his parents at a young age. Ali also lost her dad when she was only eight years old. When Ali’s son is kidnapped, they both have to fight the overwhelming despair of another loss while also trying to make sense out of their new relationship.
I hope you’ll love reading about Johnny and Ali as much as I enjoyed writing about them.
Here is more about Precious Embrace:
A second divorce and a new baby wasn’t the vision Alison Hayes had for her future. Now a single mother with two young boys, she wants to focus on her kids and what’s left of her stagnate career. When Detective Johnny Rhay Bennett breezes into her life with his country-boy accent, she wants to run. She doesn’t need another man in her life, or another reason to make people talk. But when her worst nightmare becomes a reality, Johnny is the only person who can pull Ali out of her despair, forcing her to stay strong and not give up hope of finding her missing child.
Who falls in love after a one-night stand? Johnny Rhay doesn’t believe it’s possible until it happens to him. With Nashville in his rear-view mirror, he’s determined to convince Alison she loves him too, even if it means moving to the West Coast. Ali’s not easy, and she’s living on just this side of bitter after her divorce, but Johnny doesn’t care. He’s up for the challenge. At least, he believes he’s up for it until baby Micah is stolen right out from under his nose. Now Johnny has to keep it together and get that sweet little boy home safe before his dreams of having a family vanish too.
Precious Embrace Links:
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble Nook
[amazon_link id=”B00DUEKIGO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon US Kindle[/amazon_link]
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
*~*
Book Three, Broken Embrace, is Brian and Melissa’s story. The second chance theme for Broken Embrace is love. This story is currently being edited and I’m hoping to have it available in Spring 2014.
*~*
Dana Mason Bio:
Dana Mason starting writing to prove to her computer geek husband and her math & science geek kids that she actually has a brain; it’s just a right functioning brain instead of a left. She’s lived all over the country and uses that experience in her writing and character studies. Her debut novel, Dangerous Embrace is the first in a contemporary romance series about a group of friends from Northern California who learn just how short life can be when you don’t hold on to what’s important.
When not writing, Dana specializes in professional development and training. She’s also a board member on the local Art’s Council and does what she can to support the art community.
Author Links:
Website: http://danamasonromance.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/danamasonromance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danamason06
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dana-Mason/e/B009MDSGH0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Publisher Author Page: http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/danamason
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6440793.Dana_Mason
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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
