Books | Redefining Perfect

Sunday Snippets 25 – Deep-Fried Sweethearts

by Sarah | Mar 8, 2014 | Books, Holiday, WeWriWa, Writing

Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

Back to Michaela and the delectable Tag. Last week, Tag showed up to apply for the assistant manager position. This week Michaela has agreed to an interview, but worries about a flaw of hers…a tendency to blush at everything:

“Thanks, Miss O’Keefe, you won’t regret it.” He held out his hand; when she responded with her own, his warm hand folded hers in a gentle, but firm handshake.

“Easy, Tag-I haven’t given you the job yet.” She could swear the heat of his hand travelled up to flood her cheeks. If she did give him the job, working alongside such eye candy would be rough—especially with how easily she blushed.

“I know-let’s just say I’ve got a good feeling.”

So do I-oops, hush your inner voice. She had no doubt she was blushing now, but forced herself to smile and nod.

*A little creative editing in force to make it fit in the 8

*~*

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Michaela O’Keefe is in over her head with her restaurant, The Midway. Her ad for an assistant manager brings Owen “Tag” Montague to her doorstep. With an impeccable resume and dozens of letters of recommendation, she has little choice but to give him a chance. Ten years her junior, Tag sets her long-dead libido humming, but she gave up on love and her instincts on men years ago.

Tag has had a crush on his new boss since his youth, but he’s determined to prove he can do the job. Still, he can’t resist the urge to make her blush down to her toes as often as possible. He knows her rough past in life and love makes it hard to trust, and he’s wary of crossing the line he so desperately wants to.

Just when they manage to figure out how to work and play together, Michaela’s ex does all he can to destroy their budding love. When push comes to shove Michaela’s inability to give Tag the benefit of the doubt might destroy everything.

Learning to trust herself again is the hardest lesson Michaela will ever have to learn – and by the time she does, it may be too late for love.

*~*

Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Never too late for Christmas – Book Hooks 1

by Sarah | Mar 4, 2014 | Books, Holiday, MFRWHooks, Writing

My first week participating in MFRW’s Book Hooks!

I’m excited to take part in this new weekly hook-ing fun meme!

To start off fresh, I’m going to hook from my Christmas story, Santa, Maybe…mostly because I was laid up for surgery right after it’s release and it didn’t get the love it whole-heartedly deserved.

Ivy and Alan haven’t seen each other for eight years. Former high school, and college sweethearts they were the “almost” couple…both career driven on disparate career paths, eventually they parted for good after on-again/off-again relationship. This is the first time they’ve seen each other in 8 years:

“Ivy. I had no idea you were back in Lake Point.”

“Been here for almost eight years,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye.”

“You did. You just didn’t say you would come back here.”

When she pulled back he could’ve sworn he saw the glimmer of a tear at the edge of her emerald eyes. With a blink it was gone and she smiled. “No. I didn’t tell you that part, did I? Goodness, you look good. How have you been?”

“Busy,” he replied, chuckling when she said it at the same time as he did.

*~*

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Alan Richards returns to Lake Point for the holidays, counting the minutes until he can accomplish the dreaded goal of dealing with his aging parents and get back to the city. Finding his former soul mate living in the town they left together and swore they’d never return to tosses his ordered plans right on their head.

Ivy Nowell has never looked back since she left the city and her ballet career to raise her daughter in Lake Point. Alan’s homecoming dredges up old hurts and the love she never quite let go, but he hasn’t changed, with his relentless commitment to goals that differ completely from hers.

The attraction and instant understanding between them lingers, but neither are who they used to be. Alan wants to give it a chance, but Ivy is worried he’ll change his mind and won’t risk hurting her daughter.

It’ll take Santa and all his magic to keep them from walking away from each other again, maybe for forever this time.

*~*

MFRW Book Hooks are a chance for authors to share their work and get you intrigued. See more great hooks here:

*~*

2014 So Far…

by Sarah | Mar 3, 2014 | 500k, Books, General, Writing

A few weeks back I wrote a post about the 2014 forecast for me and my writing. I figured now would be a good time for a “where I am now” on those goals and lists. I’ll admit that February didn’t come out quite as I’d hoped, but I still have gotten a bit done in the weeks since I wrote the forecast–and I’ve added some new items, because apparently I didn’t think I’d overwhelmed myself enough.

So first, the overall goals I’d set – with where I am now.

I’ve challenged myself to write 600,000 words in 2014. (140,975 WC as of 3/2/14 4:40PM)
I will finish books 4 & 5 of the Dominion Falls series and submit by February 8th – I didn’t get this done by Feb. 8th, but I did get it done. Submission went in February 17th.
I will fine-tune and perfect Leap (Hidden Senses #.5) for publication. I’m doing one more round of edits, then sending it to the proof-reader.
I will build my audience and work harder at promotion. I am not doing enough with this. Need to get out more.
I will find focus (see below), and figure out how to USE it. I had GREAT focus in January, too much in some ways. February, not so much. Hoping March will find me that happy medium.

And for my list of projects. Items in RED are done. Items in ORANGE are in progress (or progress notes). Items in BLUE are new. Some of the new items are in blue with the progress I’ve made in orange.

Runaway Train (Dominion Falls 5) – 113k
Stalled Independence (Lake Point #3) – 30k (6348 done)
Katherine’s Story (Dominion Falls Prequel) – 25k (5329 Done)
Into a Mirror Darkly (Morgana Chronicles 1) – 100k (~10k done)
Witch Way (Lake Point #4) – 30k
A Thorough Thanksgiving (Lake Point #5) – 30k
The Wolf (The Tribe #1) – 100k
Natural Selection – 40k (6621 done)
Hybrid – unknown…going to do as “Chapters” not full length novel.
The Dead Past (Dominion Falls 6-temporary name) – 100k
The Chief (The Tribe #2) – 100k
The Raven (The Tribe #4) – 100k
Escaping Humanity (Co-authoring w/ Mary Terrani) – 100k (9,002 done)

Surprisingly so far I’ve only added the one story, although I have ideas for more rambling around in my head. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done so far. I love that I’m already at 140k for the year, but hope to get even further this month, and to finish both Stalled Independence and Katherine’s (as yet unnamed) story.

Overall, my progress is good, but I’d like it to be better. I’d really like to work on building my audience, and I’m hoping my plans for the next few months help me do that.

Tuesday Tales – Pale – Natural Selection

by Sarah | Mar 2, 2014 | Books, Tuesday Tales, Writing

Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is Pale.

Leilyn got the shock of her life when Dell’s mere presence made her Were come out to play. Plus, she had Byron hint that Dell might be her mate.

This week Dell confronts his mate with some truths…and throws her world on its head:

Leilyn shifted too fast for Dell to have a chance to explain further. When he managed to change back to human, she already had her clothes back on. Her features were pale, drawn, and she’d refused to say a word to Olive or Byron, although she did accept Byron’s comforting hug.

Dell did his best not to growl his displeasure at the action. Considering Leilyn only knew half the truth, and Byron wasn’t showing any possession or protective instincts, Dell managed to keep his frustration under wraps.

He threw on the trousers Olive had thrown his way. Before Byron could ask the question he’d opened his mouth for, Dell cut him off. “Get out. Both of you. Out.” He put the full force of Alpha magic behind the command, something he rarely, if ever, did to Olive. This was too important.

Leilyn sank to the bed when Byron obeyed immediately. She rubbed her hands along her thighs, and Dell’s own hands twitched under his urge to go comfort her.

The moment the room was clear, Leilyn whispered, “I don’t understand.”

Dell grabbed a chair and spun it around. He straddled the seat and leaned on the back. “Have you been able to disobey a command?”

“Always. It wasn’t easy, but if I really set my mind to it, yes. Even my uncle, and he’s Alpha.”

“He’s not your Alpha. He’s not your uncle, either.”

“Yes. My parents were killed in the war, my mom…she was his sister.”

Dell gritted his teeth against the lie. “What year?”

“Sixty three.”

“Where are you from, Leilyn?” Dell rose when she shook her head. This time he wouldn’t let her skirt around the question. He stepped closer, putting force behind his words when he asked again, “Where are you from?”

Her nose wrinkled like she might get sick, and she stretched her neck against what he knew was an intense need to answer him. She fought the order hard, but in the end fairly vomited the words, “West Virginia.”

“The pack, they are weak, yes? They’re becoming more wolf than man, mongrel, their fur is patchy, their shifts painful.”

Even though her eyes fluttered shut, she wasn’t able to stop the tear that slipped along her cheek. “Not all of them.”

“They are the pack that attacked ours in sixty-three. They killed many Were’s and human’s alike. They took a young girl.” He sat beside her when she shook her head vehemently. With a gentle touch, he set his hand on hers. “Until my father reminded me, I’d forgotten. Pushed it out of my head because it was traumatic for me as well. We’d thought they’d killed you.”

“Not me.”

“Yes. You. We called you Megan. Your mother was pack, your father an Indian human.” He lifted her hand and pulled it close. “I saw you fall. When your body went missing my father assumed it was wildlife.”

“Not me, not me, not me.” Her hand shook before she grasped his.

“They stole you from us, from me.”

“I was treated well. Like a princess. They sent me to town in all sort of weather to be sure I was learned.” Her eyes fluttered open and she turned toward him. “I’m so confused. Why? Why would he do this?”

“Because their pack has bred together too much, they needed fresh blood.”

“He won’t let me go. I tried to reduce my risk by swimming to lessen how much scent I left behind, but he will come for me. I need to go. I have to.”

“No. You must stay.”

“Dell.” She trembled and leaned closer, her lashes curtained over her intense green eyes. “Don’t do that.”

“I’m not doing anything.” His heart rate picked up when she set her hand on his chest to physically push away from him. She didn’t get far since he still held her hand.

She stared at their clasped hands. “What did you mean, when you said he took me—from you?”

“Not now.” No matter how much he wanted to claim her, he could sense her growing distress. In one day she’d gone from runaway to learning her whole life was a lie. That was a lot of surprises for one day, one more might tip her over the edge. “You need time to adjust.”

“What if I already know?”

“Then you can tell me tomorrow.”

*~*

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Sunday Snippets 24 – Deep-Fried Sweethearts

by Sarah | Mar 1, 2014 | Books, Holiday, WeWriWa, Writing

Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!

While I’m sad to leave behind Changing Tracks for my Sunday 8’s…I’m happy to be bringing you bits of another story. This is from my contemporary Holiday’s in Lake Point series. This book is, clearly, my Valentine’s Day story.

Michaela, 31, runs a fair-themed restaurant called The Midway. In over her head, she’s put out an ad for an assistant manager. Who shows up to apply for the position is not who she expected:

Another knock disrupted her train of thought. A familiar, “Excuse me, Miss O’Keefe?” came from the doorway. Of course, if her business thoughts had to be disrupted there could be no better way than with Owen Montague, better known simply as Tag. Ten years her junior, he’d grown up into quite a looker.

She could remember joking with her friend, Eve, five years ago about Tag being jail bait for women like them. Now he was lethally legal at the age of twenty-one, and even better looking with azure eyes, mussed blond hair, and a crooked smile that she bet had melted the panties off of many girls in his class. Just when she realized she’d been staring at him and jolted out of her reverie, he rewarded her with that signature grin, and she swore her heart skipped a beat.

*~*

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Learning to trust herself again is the hardest lesson Michaela will ever have to learn – and by the time she does, it may be too late for love.

*~*

Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Tuesday Tales Picture Prompt – Witch Way

by Sarah | Feb 24, 2014 | Books, Holiday, Tuesday Tales, Writing

Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is this picture.

As much as I love my Historical Paranormal, I couldn’t fit it in with this picture prompt…so I’ve written a partial scene from my Halloween Lake Point story (due to release in October), Witch Way. As a reminder, my characters are Felicity and Craig, you met them one months ago on another picture prompt (where I forgot the word count limit ~ahem~). So here we are just a few days after they “met”…and fell in lust at first sight…which is fine with Felicity…:

Felicity smiled when she was handed the key. “Thanks, Katie.”

When the librarian snuck back into the office to play on the internet, Felicity grabbed her laptop bag. She strolled through the opening between the cases under the elegant clock.

On the other side, Craig leaned against a shelf waiting. At her wink, he slipped into step behind her. “Where are we going?” Even his hushed voice seemed loud in the empty, quiet library.

“Shhh.” She led him through the stacks. She turned right and headed to the room under one of the high domed windows. There were four such rooms in the library, but this was her favorite.

Craig bumped into her when she stopped to unlock the door. “Oh, sorry.”

“No problem. Why are you looking around like you’re in awe? The library hasn’t changed at all since we were kids, except there are computers now.”

“I’ve never actually been inside.”

She held the door open and stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“Wasn’t much of a reader.”

“Right. You were more of a doer. Now get in here quick.” She dragged him inside and shut the door, locking it behind her. “Will you shut the blinds?”

The room was a square with windows into and out of the library. She loved this room for the nice view of the town, but today the view didn’t matter.

As he shut the blinds, she set her bag in the corner and pulled off her jacket. She hopped onto the table and grinned when he turned. “This room’s soundproof, did I mention that?”

“You’re serious? Here?”

“You bet your sweet ass I’m serious. I’ve wanted you since I saw you save that dog the other night. What about you?”

He gripped her thighs and yanked her close, his lips crashing against hers with intense passion.

*~*